Combined hobby-horse and vehicle.



F. W. FUBSSEL. COMBINED HOBBY HORSE .AND VEHICLE.

APPLIUATIOH FILED JULY 24, 1909.

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W/T/VESSES NQ INVENTOH I 58mm Mayenne-$86.4,

` Y l lLW' Nimh/Em UNITED STATES PATENT or FRANK WRIGHT FUESSEL, OF HIGKSVILLE, NEW YORK.

COMBINED HOBBY-HGORSE AND VEHICLE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 26, 1910.,

Application ied July 24, i909.` serial No. 509,418..

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LFRANKKWRIGHT FUEs- SEL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Hicksville, inthe county of Nassau and State of Newv York, have invented 'a new and Improved Combined.

by independent means or drawn along by2 outside ower, or the horse may move independent y of the movement of the vehicle or may be locked rigid in respecty to the vehicle while the latter is being moved. By means' -of these features, the device may serve all of the functi'ons of an ordinary rocking-horse, or may serve the functions of a cart oi'.ordi' nary vehicle, or all of the advantages of both may be combined in one.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings formin a part of this specification, in which sim' ar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in whic Figure 1 is a side elevation of a device constructed in accordance with my invention, the platform being shown in longitudinal section; Fi 2 is a vertical transverse section on the line 2 72 of Fig. 1;y Fig. 3 .is

a top plan view of the front end of the plate.

form, the hoiseand its support beiner removed; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged showingI a portion of the brace for operating the horse for locking it rigid.

In the preferred form of my invention I employ a platform base or body 10 mounted upon front and rear axles 11 and 12, which axles have pairs of front and rear wheels 13 and 14. Mounted upon the platform is` a hobby horse 15, the connectionsv between the body and the horse being such that there may be a relative movement, and the horse being also connected to one of the axles for making the movement of the horseco-inci` dent with the forward and backward movement of the body. For supporting the horse I provide two vertical standards 16-16 disposed intermediate the ends vof the base and each rigidlysecured to the latter at its lower end. At its upper'end each -vertical standard 16 is pivotally connected to a corresponding depending lug, 17 on the single pivot pin 18 may serve' to connect rboth lugs to their corresponding standards; th/ifs pivot pin extends in a horizontal plane and transversely of the vehicle, so that the this pivot. The two standards are held rigid in respect to each other by a transverse connectin bar 19, and they are braced ends of which .are connected to the base or platform 10. If desired, thehorse may rb@ raised or lowered with respect to the platforni 10, by vmaking the upper ortion of the uprights 16 of two sections a justably connected together as indicated-in section in also carries stops 21 in front of land behind under side of the body of the horse to limit the forward and backward tilting ofthe latter. Adjacent these stops, springs 22 connect the under side of the horse to the semi-circular brace, and tend t0 hold the horse in an intermediate or horizontal position. v

The horse may be connected to the running gear of the vehicle so as to ositively rock or tilt the horse as the vehic.e moves, asl hereinafter described, but I may utilize merely 'the upright-s, braces, stops and wliiclrthe horse may rock or tilt a limited distance independent of any movement of the-,vehicle For positively rocking the horse during a crank 23 intermediate its ends, andy a Vrod 24 connects this crank to a pin 25 extending between the two hind `legs .of the horse. As the vehicle moves forwardly or baclrwardly .the rear axle 12 and the rod 24; cause the horse to positively rock or tilt upon the pin 18 at its center. If desired, this connecting means between the horse and the axles may be utilized as apropelling means for the under side of the body of the horse. A`

horse may rock in. a vertical plane aboutv said uprights for engagement with the against forwar or backward movement by. a semi-circular brace 20, the middle portion A of which is connected to the rod 19 and the so l Fig. 2. The semi-circular brace 20 serves not only to reverse the uprights 16 but -it ysprings above described, and by means of forward or backward` movement of the vehicle, the rear axle 12 is provided with 'a .v/ l vehicle, the rider sittin on the horse and tilting the latter bac wardly and forwardly to transmit power to the rear axle and propel the vehicle. In case iti'is not desired to rock the/horse during themovement of the vehicle, the lower end of the rod 24 may be detached from thecrankl 23'." The lower end of this rod is preferablyleonstructed substantially as illustrated iny Fig! 4. rThe rod at its lower end terminates in a hook 26 adapted to receivethe cranli and adjacentthis hook is a spring stopQ? for retaining the crank in position. This springv stop maybe pressed downwardly so as to permit the removal of the crank froniythe hook 26. Tfhe platform 10 carries an eyelet,

`ring or staple 28 so disposed that when the horse is in a normal or intermediate position the rod 24 may be detached from the crank and attached to this lstationary ring 28 as indicated dotted'lines in Fig. l. The rod will then serve to,l positively lock the lorse against movement relatively to the platform although it will permit the vehicle to move fowardlyor Jbackwardly at any .v springgt4 independently of -any forward or forward and backward direction.

backward movement of the vehicle. Thus the horse may move in synchronism with the vehicle or the vehicle may move and theliorse remain stationary relatively thereto,- or the horse may tilt or rock independently cfany movement of the vehicle.

lnstead of relyingl upon the tilting of the horse to propel the vehicle when the rod 24: connects the horse and rear axle, I preferably provide independent propelling means so that the rod 24 may serve to transmit motion from the axle to the horse rather than from the horse te the axle. rlfhis propelling means includes two cranks 30 on the rear axle adjacent opposite ends/thereof, and these crai'ilrs areconnected by rods to stirrups $32 suspended by elastic straps 33 from opposite sides of the horse. By moving these stirrups forwardly and backwardly the rear/axle maybe caused to rotate. and the, vehicle to proceed. To guide 'the their movement each is pref-- eriibly secured tothe upper end of a corresponding lever 54-, the lower end of which is pirated to the platf rm l0. These levers support and guide the stirrups and prevent thein from moving other than in a generally The levers are preferably each .made of two secthe stirrups.

will remain taut during the movement of y The connecting rods 3l are also illustrated as being formed of two sections adjustably connected together, so as to vary their lengths. In utilizing the mechanism for moving the seat in respect to the body or platform, other mechanism than that illustrated may be employed for propelling the vehicle; for instance the sprocket chain and pedal construction of an ordinary velocipede.

, The front axle ll is preferably so connected to the platform that it may swing in a horizontal plane to permit the Vguiding or steering of the vehicle. The platform carries two pulleys or guides 35 in the rear of the front axle adjacent opposite sides of the platform7 and a guiding run or rope 3G extendsfrom adjacent opposite ends ofthe aXle over these pulleys and thence upwardly over guides 37 on the horses head, land backwardly to a point adjacent the scat 38. The horses head is illus- -trated as being rigid in respect to the body of the horse, but by. pulling on either guide rope or run, the axle may be swung in 'a horizontal plane to guide the vehicle. The axle preferably carries a forwardly extending bracket or arm 39 to which a tongue or draft rope may be secured to draw the vehicle.

Inthe drawings I have illustrated a horse, and referred to the same in the specification as a hobby horse, but it is of course evident that the representation of any other animal could be employed in place thereof, or theY animal may be entirely dispensed with and'merely the seat 38 employed together with the springs, stops, connecting rods, etc., so that the seat will have the same movements as though the seat were the saddle 38 on the back of the horse l5.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent v l. In combination, a vehicle, a seat mounted to rock thereon, and adjustable means connected to said seat to rock' the latter during the movement of the vehicle and-to lock sald'seat against rockinof movement during the movement of the vehicle.

2. In combination, a vehicle, a seat mounted to rock thereon and a rod having one end operatively connected to said seat and having the opposite end adapted to be detachably secured to the running gear to positively rock the seat during the running of the vehicle, or to be attached to the body of the vehicleto prevent rocking of the seat during the running of the vehicle.

sides of said seat, extensib e levers pivotedto y said platform and extending upwardly there- Vof the latter, whereby the 'vehicle may ."frm and connected to 'said st irrups, and` means connecting the axlev of said vehicle With said lever's above the pivotal suppolit propelled by movement of the stirrups;

4. A vehicle having a' platform, -a seat mounted lthereon, stirru s upon opposite sides of said seat, extensible levers pivoted to said platform 'and'extendin lupwardly -therefrom and connected to said stirrups,

cranks upon the axle of said vehicle, and

extensible rods connecting said levers above the platform and said cranks.`

5L A vehicle having a platforrma standard extendin 'upwardly therefrom-curved braces exten ing forwardly and rearwar-dlg` from the u per portion of'said standard,

and Secure to said platform, a' seat pvl otally mounted upon said standardsto s f' et' t-'v carried by 'said braces. for .t ing movement of the seat, springs connecting said seat andsaid braces A:for retarding themovement of the seat, and'means connecting the axle of the :vehicle with said seat to injsure their simultaneous movement. In testimony whereof I have signed mysot nanie tol this specification in the two subscribin witnesses.- FRAlK WRIGHT FUESSEL. Witnesses: l

ANDREW J. Hnnron'r, -Gmann'r L. HICKS.

presenAe of 

